The following report was submitted to the Government of the Northwest Territories and Aurora College on March 10, 2025:
The report outlines what the UNW has heard or read about directly from members, community stakeholders, and from the GNWT/Aurora College itself about the function and value of Community Learning and Literacy Outreach centres, and was developed in response to the messaging from Aurora College that CLCs and LOCs were "problematic" and not a good use of college funds; messaging that goes against what we have heard from UNW members who work at these centres, and residents of the communities they serve.
Helpful reading:
- NWT Polytechnic University Facilities Master Plan - Community Learning Centres: What We Heard (GNWT/Aurora College, 2024)
- Polytechnic University - Facilities Master Plan (GNWT 2022)
Aurora College presentation to the Legislative Assembly Committee on Accountability and Oversight
During the college's presentation to the Legislative Assembly Committee on Accountability and Oversight on March 6, 2025, college leadership doubled down on their rhetoric, including the following statement from the Chair of the college Board of Governors:
"Another thing I will say is that it seems that a lot of success of adult learning is based first on the student. But second, on the instructor. Unless you have an instructor who is ready and willing to be creative and make these things work, as they did in your case with NorTran, then it won’t work. If the instructor sees their job just to sit in the classroom and wait for someone to walk in the door, and, unfortunately while we’re making that transition over the digital age we’re still dragging along on the old bricks and mortar approach. So we want to force that to move ahead…" - 57:20
The UNW finds that statement offensive in its implications. Our members were listening to the proceedings as well and contacted us to tell us that they feel disrespected. Members have told us that when they have tried suggesting creative approaches, their employer was not interested. They are being kicked while they are down and they deserve a public apology.